


City Limits

by silkplants



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: APH America - Freeform, APH England - Freeform, Alfred F. Jones - Freeform, Arthur Kirkland - Freeform, Hetalia, M/M, Psychic Arthur, UKUS, USUK - Freeform, Vomit Mention, alfred f jones - Freeform, aph, aph UK, aph US, arthurs powers are inspired by Eleven from stranger things, blood mention, but this isn't a stranger things AU, gun mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 06:44:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19079635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silkplants/pseuds/silkplants
Summary: Arthur has always been rather…special. Alfred knows that, so together they’re going someplace where they can both be safe and live in peace.





	City Limits

The rain pelted against the windows as Arthur looked outside. Buildings went by in a flash, Alfred’s old van going much faster than it ought to, especially in such weather. Sat in the passenger side, Arthur remained quiet, if only to use his energy to focus on keeping the traffic lights green. It wouldn’t do for them to stop, not even for a moment. Not until they were far enough away from the lab that they wouldn’t be found anytime soon.

He eyed Alfred in between lights, his lover’s usually cheerful disposition one of hard determination. His hands gripped the wheel so tight his knuckles were white, and his eyes stared hard at the road, the usual sky blue steely and cold.

“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Arthur said softly after a bit, placing a hand on Alfred’s thigh. “You can still go back- drop me off here, and you can go back home, back to your family..” Arthur knew that wasn’t true. The moment Alfred shot the security guard in front of Arthur’s holding chamber had sealed his fate.

Part of Arthur wished he had never met Alfred. Things had started out so innocently- Alfred had been an intern at the very laboratory Arthur had been held hostage in for so many years. Alfred was there because he had an interest in microbiology, not to experiment on the world’s first recorded “real” psychic. Arthur could…do things. Manipulate the mind, cause people to see or hear things, control objects around him without ever touching them with his hands. He could kill and had killed, his first recorded being his mother, though even to Alfred he wouldn’t say why. He just told Alfred that he wouldn’t hurt good people, and that seemed to be enough for him.

“You and I both know that’s not happening,” Alfred replied, shaking his head. “I told you, Baby, I’m in this for the long run. Whatever happens, I’ll be right there beside you.” Alfred took one hand off the wheel and laced his fingers with Arthur’s, holding them tight. “You’re doing great with the lights, Darlin’. The less we have to idle, the longer we can go without stopping for gas. And I really don’t want to stop in this city.”

Arthur nodded, and squeezed his hand in return, returning his gaze to the lights. He turned the next three green all at the same time, and Alfred sped through without issue. He always turned them red again right behind them- He doubted the lab vehicles would adhere by traffic laws, but it wouldn’t hurt.

“I love you, Alfred,” Arthur mumbled, looking away. He wasn’t good with words, he knew that. There was so much he felt for Alfred, much more than some three-word phrase. But he hoped that it was good enough. For now.

“Love you too, Art.” Alfred smiled faintly, the warmth returning to his expression. “You just wait until we get to Florida. No one in their right minds would choose to go there willingly, so I think we’ll be safe from their searches for a while. From there we can leave the country- I’m not sure where just yet, but I promise, you’re going to be safe.”

“And you, too?” Arthur replied, furrowing his brow at the large black SUV getting closer and closer to them.

“And me, too.” Alfred chuckled. He glanced in his rearview mirror, sighing. “Is that one of them?”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to do anything until I know for sure.” Arthur frowned.

“Maybe something subtle? Stall their engine, make their gas tank leak?” Alfred suggested, but Arthur still shook his head.

“I’m not that..fine-tuned, Dear. I can barely unlock doors, it’s easier to just crush them. And I certainly don’t know the inner workings of a car enough to do something so precise.” The SUV was gaining on them.

“Well, you’re going to have to do something, Babe,” Alfred replied, looking nervous for the first time since they left the lab. “If they shoot out my tires we’re screwed-”

Arthur’s eyes widened as the sunroof of the SUV began to slide open. Fingers on the edge of the roof. The barrel of a gun. A nameless agent in a black suit aiming at them. Arthur squeezed his eyes shut, and covered his ears as he tried not to hear the sickening crunch of metal, the screeching of tires- He’d crushed the hood and the engine underneath, the force causing the SUV to flip over and roll. He didn’t know if there were any survivors and frankly he didn’t want to know.

Tears pricked in the corners of his eyes, then began to roll down his face. He tried not to sniffle, but he knew Alfred could tell he was crying. He felt a hand on his shoulder, giving him a comforting squeeze.

“It’s okay, Baby, it’s gonna be okay.” Alfred sighed, frowning as the wrecked SUV got further and further away as they drove on. “We’re gonna get you someplace so that you don’t need to fight like that.”

Arthur nodded, rubbing his forehead and reaching for a half-empty bottle of water. Using his abilities so dramatically always gave him a splitting headache, but he had to stay strong, at least until they reached city limits. He groaned, putting a hand over his eyes to try and block out some of the light as he took a long drink, emptying the contents of the plastic bottle and crushing it beneath his fingers. After resting a moment, he opened one eye, his vision swimming. Lights bled into one another, and shapes were fuzzy- he would be okay soon, but, for now, it was agony. They passed a sign on the side of the road, and the letters danced and swirled so much Arthur couldn’t read it. He could guess what it said, though, because Alfred commented on it.

“Just a few more miles.” He whispered, not wanting to add to the infinite, abrasive drumbeats in Arthur’s head.

As they drove, the lights became less frequent, the buildings less tall. They were on the home stretch, now, and although Arthur still felt like crap, he was becoming hopeful.

That is, of course, until they turned a corner and faced the blockade. A mixture of police cars and SUVs, completely blocking the road ahead of them. Red and blue lights flashed, causing Arthur to have to wince and swallow a wave of nausea. Officers in uniform and impersonal agents in suits stood near the cars, weapons drawn.

Alfred slammed on the brakes, causing them both to lurch forward in their seats. The blockade was three cars deep at least- they could never just crash through the whole thing.

“This might be the end of the line, Babe,” Alfred said softly, squeezing his hand.

One of the officers raised a megaphone to his lips. He was talking, but Arthur wasn’t focusing on the words. Arthur wanted nothing more than to vomit and then pass out, but he’d gotten Alfred into this mess and he wasn’t going to watch his lover get gunned down the moment they stepped out of the van.

Alfred unbuckled his seatbelt and started to reach for the door handle, but Arthur quickly grabbed his arm, shaking his head. Alfred seemed to get the message because he didn’t try to get out again.

Arthur focused, hard. His ears were ringing, and he was throbbing behind his eyes. He shut them tightly. Nothing happened, and the agents began to walk forwards, getting closer to the van.

Off to the side, there was a sudden gush of hot air as a fissure opened up in the ground. The mound of broken asphalt and dirt was one of many, and soon many fissures were opening up along the road, the very earth shaking beneath them.

Cracks in the earth connected the fissures, surrounding the entirety of the blockade. The plates of the earth shifted, and Arthur tried to ignore the screaming as officers and agents alike stumbled, some getting crushed by their own vehicles and by each other. The finale came when Arthur opened his eyes, and the earth fell away, creating a giant sinkhole that swallowed up cops, agents and all, leaving their beat up old van on the safe, solid ledge. Their adversaries disappeared into the darkness, their cries becoming quieter until they were gone.

It was only then that Arthur realized he had been screaming, his throat burning and voice hoarse. He felt a wetness on his cheek and thought that he was crying again, but when he touched it and pulled his hands away, his fingertips were red. He could feel the blood trickling out of his ears and nose as well as his eyes, and he made a mental note never to do something to that scale ever again. Especially because his migraine had increased a hundredfold, and his very bones ached.

Alfred said nothing. He spent a long few minutes just staring in front of them, eyes wide and face pale. Arthur didn’t want to break the silence. Was this the final straw? Would Alfred decide that this was too much and drop him off right here? He probably wouldn’t blame him if he did. Slowly, Alfred popped the glove box in front of Arthur’s legs, pulling out a napkin from some fast food restaurant. He handed it to Arthur, giving him a worried look. “You’re never going to do that again.” He said resolutely, and Arthur nodded his head ever so slightly. He would have tried to agree with him, but he was fairly sure that if he tried to talk he would vomit until he’d rid himself of his own guts.

Alfred then reached forwards, turning the key in the van’s ignition. The trusty old thing roared to life, and Alfred took it slow, driving halfway on the sidewalk to go around the new sinkhole. He must have known it wouldn’t crumble any more- Arthur’s work was done, and the surrounding ground was as stable as it had ever been. Then, they kept driving, going a few miles under the speed limit and stopping at most the remaining red lights. There was no one left to come for them, not for now.

Arthur curled up in his seat, napkin pressed to his nose. He would be out of commission for a while, but it was alright. Alfred was safe. They both were. For now. That was enough.

As Arthur rolled down the window to finally give in to his bouts of nausea, he got a glimpse of a green sign with white lettering. His eyesight was still swimming, but he could barely make it out:

“Now Exiting City Limits.”


End file.
